


Just Ask

by pok3d3x



Series: Fireside Chats [2]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bad BDSM Etiquette, Blindfolds, F/M, Kissing, Light BDSM, Light Bondage, M/M, Making Out, Neck Kissing, No Sex, Porn with Feelings, Practice Kissing, but only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 09:44:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14788119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pok3d3x/pseuds/pok3d3x
Summary: Molly implied that if Caleb asked again in a couple of days, he'd say yes. Caleb would be able to kiss Molly—and while that excited Caleb immensely, it also terrified him. In all the things he's missed out on in his strange life, he was alsoveryout of practice when it came to kissing of any sort.So, with this in mind, he turned to a friend for emergency kissing lessons.This follows "Suggestion"((Sorry, Jester/Caleb fans. There's a lot of material to play with, but this is ultimately Molly/Caleb))





	Just Ask

**Author's Note:**

> I have this marked BDSM as a blanket cover to protect people from triggering material, though it is extremely light. It's marked poor etiquette because Jester forgets to ask if a knot is good, but they have a safeword and are traversing unknown territory together pretty openly. Please let me know if you think I'm missing any tags.
> 
> This is my first time publishing something heavy with making out/sexual themes, so I'm a little nervous to share.

Molly's words bounced off the edges of Caleb's brain, days passing slowly but hours gone in seconds. _"Ask me again in a couple days… my answer will be different."_

Ask to kiss Molly again after a few days, and he would say yes. That's what he implied. Caleb had asked on the heels of an awful night, a traumatic experience, and drowning in confusion and spent fear. He supposed it was admirable of Molly to tell him to wait, and if he was honest with himself, he probably needed it. That much time to go over the words again and again though shot through any confidence he might have scrapped together.

He hadn't kissed anyone in a long, long time. He could remember exactly how long, and it made him preemptively embarrassed to try, afraid Molly would be able to tell. It was ridiculous, Caleb acknowledged, but irrationality had a way about not caring about sense.

His fear that his lack of practice would show had him at a particular door tonight, and it was no coincidence that it wasn't Molly's even though that was the tiefling he had a burning question to ask. He had a different burning question to ask a different tiefling tonight. Caleb's knuckles made a dull sound with each connection with the door, like the wood had too much water damage over the years and would rot away soon.

"Coming!" He heard from the other side of the door, and he steeled himself for tonight.

"Oh, Caleb, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Her voice dropped low and she added on huskily," At such an hour of the night too…" She gave a solid wink that was too obvious to really be taken seriously, but it made Caleb struggle for air for a moment.

"I—uh, need," he hesitated as he tried to find the right word," your assistance—well, would like, um…"

She watched with a hint of amusement as he continued to flounder.

Finally, he cleared his throat and said," If we could go somewhere more private, I have a… favor to ask."

"Of course, come on in," she said with a big smile.

He bowed his head in thanks, then stepped into her room, which he was thankful to see was empty save them. He seemed to recall now that Beau had invited Yasha to come look at something with her, and he was never more thankful for others being braver than he.

Caleb couldn't look up as he began speaking again, instead playing with his scarf in his hands and watching it raptly.

"It's um… of a sensitive nature, what I'm going to ask, a-and at any point if I make you uncomfortable, I sincerely apologize. Please let me know, and I will promptly fuck off."

Her bouncy air settled at the heavy words and she came close cautiously. "What is it?"

"It's um, woah, I knew this would be difficult, but…" He cleared his throat again. Caleb looked over her shoulder to try and work up to eye contact, but as words came to him again, he knew eye contact wasn't happening tonight. He was already embarrassed just thinking about his request.

"Well, ah… There is someone I would like to… kiss… but they said I had to wait a few days to ask, and so I have, but now that I've had time to think about it, it's made me nervous—more nervous than usual—to talk to him let alone ask him— _Scheiße_ —I-I m-meant them, ah…"

He screwed his eyes shut and put his loose fists to his forehead, torn between raking his fingers through his hair and pulling or planting his face squarely in his hands so he could hide for the rest of his life.

Perhaps it was a miracle, or Jester understood just how hard it was for him to continue talking, but she gave him the half a minute he needed to take a few deep breaths and collect himself enough to put together another faltering sentence.

"I want to kiss them, but I'm… How to say…" Caleb's voice was little more than a murmur as he admitted," Out of practice."

"Oh, Caleb, everyone has a dry streak now or then," she reassured him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezing lightly.

"Mine…" He blushed as he tried to explain. "Mine is a bit longer than most. I, um, haven't… I don't want him to… It's been over a decade."

The way her jewelry jingled with her small gasp brought his eyes skittering across her face in time to see her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "That is a long time," she agreed.

"I don't want to seem…" He waved a hand to fill in the blank. _Inexperienced, naive, ridiculous…_

"And you're telling me all this because…"

He grit his teeth and began to worry his hands together in stressed wringing motions. "Well, I was, um, hoping you could impart some advice."

"Just because my mom is the most famous courtesan of all of Nicodranas doesn't mean you can just ask me for sex, Caleb," she said loudly enough that he worried someone in the hall would be able to hear.

"I-I-I just m-meant—"

She began laughing, bringing his flustered apology to an end before it could even take flight.

"Advice is nice and all, but if you want to get better at kissing, all you can do is practice. It's not like a spell," she said, leaning in a little closer and speaking in hushed tones.

"O-oh…" The disappointment in his voice was poorly hidden.

She leaned away, crossing one arm across her body and letting the other play with her hair languidly. "We could practice though, if you wanted to be ready for— _them_ …" She sounded ready to fill in the name, but cut herself short with a mischievous giggle. 

Caleb bit his lip and asked," Are you sure? That wouldn't be weird?"

"Well, my rates are pretty high," she said with a light, drawling tone.

"R-right, of course," Caleb stuttered out, fumbling for his coin purse. He was such an inconsiderate idiot. This wasn't just some free favor he was asking. It was a business older than time.

While he was still trying to get his coins ready for the transaction, Jester boldly declared," You have to let me teach you how to braid hair!"

His fingers fell still at his belt and he brow knit together in confusion. "What?"

"Hey! My services, my rates," she said, crossing her arms with a small _hmph_.

"But surely doing such a favor for me is worth—"

"Caleb," she interrupted. "Friends help each other out. Anyways, it's just a little kissing, which can be a lot fun." She stepped in close and walked two fingers up his chest, giggling as she watched him gulp nervously at such little teasing.

She frowned as her proximity let her in on the fact he had started trembling. "Oh, Caleb, you have nothing to worry about. I'd never make fun of you. This is a lesson! You're learning, okay?"

He nodded, unable to form words, and she wasn't sold.

"It's okay to be nervous, and you don't have to be amazing right away. I mean, how long did it take you to learn… I don't know, how to make those dancing lights?"

"It, uh, took years," he said," I was a kid, and I didn't really start getting anywhere with my magic until age… eleven? And still even then…" It was the precursor to a ramble, and she must have known it, but cause she cut him off with a big gasp and a finger held to the air with the sense of, _I knew the answer all along!_

"See? Exactly! Nothing to be embarrassed about if it takes a little practice to get back on your feet."

Her comparison brought him a little comfort. It had taken plenty of years to get any solid number of spells down. The things he did easily today like Dancing Lights and Firebolt were after years of dedicated study. With a little more confidence, he nodded, and she bounced a little excitedly. 

"Are you ready? Did you want to 'study' now?"

"Well, it seems an apt time without any roommates around," Caleb said softly. His breath caught at the end of his sentence as she slid a hand into his and pulled him over to her bed. He let himself be pulled into sitting beside her and nervously bit at his lip.

"No biting your lips," she scolded. "They're going to get all chapped."

"Sorry."

She felt bad for coming across so serious when she had meant it mostly in jest.

"No, I'm sorry. You can do whatever you like, but it's generally nicer to take care of your lips…" Jester licked hers slowly. "Your skin…" She took his jaw in either hand after letting her fingertips trail softly up his neck. "Your hair…" She let one thumb brush through his beard as the other hand continued across his jaw and snaked up through his hair.

He was too still beneath her hands. "This is all okay, right, Caleb?"

He gave only a nervous bob of the head. That wouldn't do when she was so worried about his boundaries. She worried a little that he might not respect his own boundaries himself. "I need an answer out loud."

"Yes, it's okay. It's just a little overwhelming," he said, voice a little strained.

"Okay," she said, letting her voice be light with encouragement. He should vocalize how he was feeling. "Why don't we make a safeword? Either one of us says it, the other stops immediately. No questions asked."

That seemed like a sound plan, so Caleb nodded, then added verbal agreement a second later.

"Okay, our safeword is… peacock." She laughed a little as Caleb suddenly seemed to be experiencing trouble swallowing.

Caleb looked to her lips trepidatiously, his heart beginning to beat a little rapidly and faintly. "May I—may I kiss you now?"

She bobbed her head yes. The smirk that came to her lips should have been enchanting, but he struggled to find the charm he'd hoped he'd chance upon. He haltingly leaned closer until a slight hand lited upon his chest and ground his advance to a firm halt. 

"Something's wrong," she said. 

"I think you may be picking up on the fact I'm not… typically attracted to women," he said softly, afraid to offend. 

"Oh, if that's all," she said with a mischievous giggle. She deftly pulled a large bow from her dress loose and quickly tied the ribbon over his eyes. "All mouths feel the same," she said as she secured it with a bow behind his head. "Pretend I'm the ruggedly handsome… Oskar…" 

She sighed thinking about Tusk Love. It had to be about Tusk Love, for sure. No doubt. 

Caleb's lips worked into a small grin. "Alright, Oskar." He was fighting the sudden panic being blindfolded brought, the excitement of something new tempering it. 

She pushed him back against the headboard to steady him, and she eased his surprised noises by pressing her lips to his throat. "There's a lot of places to kiss other than the lips," she murmured against his jugular. He whined under her kisses up his neck and she smiled into his beard. 

"Did you put something in your beard? It actually smells really nice," she commented, breathing in for a bit. 

She asked a question, Caleb thought for a second before coming up with an answer. "You always comment on how I smell, and I came to ask such a favor," he said with a creeping blush. "I bought a beard balm, I believe it was called."

"That's so considerate, Caleb!"

"It was not," Caleb dismissed. "It was selfish; I wanted you to say yes."

"For me to smell it, I'd have to already be this close. You wanted to make sure I'd enjoy myself if I got this far," she argued. Then, before he could counter, she added," Either way, you got extra credit. Good job!"

She felt he might protest her praise even harder, so she raised her mouth to his and preoccupied him. He was sloppy, using too much tongue, and yet he was reluctant to reciprocate. She kissed through the awkwardness, deepening her ministrations slowly. It just took practice, she knew; he was off to a fair start. 

"Start slow when introducing teeth," she whispered against his lips. She bit on his lower lip lightly and dragged her teeth softly. "So you can gauge if they're into it," she added after releasing his lip. He was into it. 

Jester caught a bit of his beard and pulled a face, then licked his neck nice and slowly. He bucked under her and she giggled and began slow work on a hickey. When she was pleased with her work she leaned back and smiled. "If you ever get a little hair in your mouth, you can lick somewhere dry to help out," Jester informed, remembering her job as tutor.

"Thank you for the tip, but as he is clean shaven and doesn't seem to have much in the way of chest hair, I don't know how much I will get to use that piece of knowledge." His blush deepened as he realized the information he had just given.

"People grow hair in other places. You could lick his inner thi—" 

Caleb was a quick study and must have wanted her to stop speaking, because he reached out blindly, found her head and brought her into a deep kiss. Their lips remained locked until he lightly pulled her away and took a deep breath. 

"I'm sorry, I should have—"

"I'm not complaining, Caleb. We have a safeword I could use if it was overstepping boundaries."

"Okay," he said, unconvinced. 

"And you can use it too, no judgement," she reminded him, grabbing his scarf he always wore. She let her loose fist sit on his chest for a moment, giving him the chance if he wanted to say no. He pressed his lips thinly as she began to pull his scarf off, pulling it to the side and letting it pool on the ground, but he seemed to be waiting, anticipating, what she'd do next.

Caleb accomodated her as she rolled his jacket over his shoulders and pulled it to the other side of the bed and eased it to the ground. Jester remembered the books he had showed them the first day they met, and knew he would want them taken care of. As her fingers started on one belt, he clumsily removed the other. His hands shook slightly as he grabbed the shoulders of his tunic and lifted it up and over his head.

"Like what you see," he asked quietly, trying to lighten the situation. He felt the shakiness in his question may have undersold his confident question, but he was trying.

"Of course I do, Caleb. You're, like, one of my best friends ever," she squealed, scooping him up in a tight hug.

His hands wavered and hung around near her back before tentatively reciprocating the hug and pulling her close. "And here I had a sexy line ready, _I'd return the compliment but_ … and point vaguely to the blindfold," he laughed uncertainly.

Jester laughed and said," That's a good one. Let's start over."

"I'm good. Let's get back to the, uh, lesson…" Too much strong emotion and he would chicken out to continue.

"Alright, I'll help you with the corset. It's a tricky one," she said, making quick work of pulling the strings and stripping the restraining garment. "My dress is pretty easy. Some buttons down the back." She guided his hands and he made much slower work of her dress.

Once he had the sleeves down, his hands tried to do a cursory exploration of her chest and she chastised," Your hand work needs a lot of work. Just pay attention so you can follow my lead, okay?"

He didn't have time to assent before her hands slid up his chest and rounded to support his pecs. He also found he didn't care as a thumb edged close to his nipple and his stomach tightened at the light touch. Caleb leaned his head back and let his guard down enough that he didn't notice her pull more ribbons loose until she began tying his wrists to the bed posts. His breath got a little shallow, and she paused on his second wrist. It was all a part of his "training" though, right?

"I'm good," he reaffirmed. "I'm good."

She pulled the knot tight on the second wrist.

"Sometime when you can see, I'll show you the knots I use. You have to be careful with knots! They can cut off blood flow or be really unsafe." Then after a short pause, she muttered," Oh, shit! You should check after every knot if it's good, like, not too tight. I'm sorry, I forgot. These good?"

He nodded. He also bit his lip waiting for whatever came next.

Jester's hands returned to his pecs and squeezed lightly with alternating fingers to really kneed the muscle before moving on to abs dragging her nails softly against his sides. After walking her hands back up, she rested one hand on his chest so she could massage the nipple with her thumb and small circles.

"Are you telling me to stop in Zemnian?"

 _Sheiße_ , he was speaking? He didn't even think he was capable of stringing three words together right now. "Don't think so," he said breathily, but it took all his concentration.

"If you want to—"

"No," he interjected. "I… I don't want to stop." He had to take a deep breath. "But maybe, we could slow down?"

"Mmm, yeah. A nice little break," she said agreeably, like his request was the most normal thing that could have been said in this situation. Jester adjusted herself so she could lean her head against his chest, which took a little planning with horns like hers. She idly rubbed circles on his abdomen, but with none of the same fervor of before.

Caleb worried he was being silly or weak, a coward, but her easy compliance and normalizing words were so comforting. "Thank you," he muttered.

"Of course, Caleb." She picked her head up slightly so she could place a chaste kiss on his pec. She returned her head, mindful of her horn, and continued to softly rub what she thought was a soothing pattern over his stomach.

Silence settled, and had he not been tied up and blindfolded, this could almost seem like just a normal, friendly hangout. Caleb had been blinded for a while now, and he found his other senses to be no more stronger, but for him to be paying even more attention to them than usual. He could feel as Jester began to tense the longer she rested against him. "Copper for your thoughts?"

"Oh, I was just wondering a bunch of things," she said lightly. "I mean, the normal things, like if Oskar and Guinevere are still happy ever after, or if my package will ever show up at the Pillow Trove… but also… Why did you pick me? You kind of told me you were gay, so that makes me a pretty weird choice to make out with, I mean just saying, with no alcohol…"

"Ah," he said with a bit of a wince. "Truth is… I trust you." He let that sentiment hang for only a second before backtracking and saying much more blithely," After your story about achieving the form of your mother and playing that joke on the lord, I felt that you might be comfortable with—and I don't mean to insinuate that growing up in a brothel had anything to do with—meaningless… not meaningless, but platonic… physical…"

"Oh my gods, Caleb, just say you thought I'd be open to feelings-free sex already."

He went stiff beneath her and she almost regretted blurting what she had. "But it's not," he finally said. "This is much different than the passionate but… sordid flings of my youth. There are—" He paused, failing to find exactly how he wanted to phrase this. "There are a lot of feelings here. You're… invested in my wellbeing, asking how I'm doing, telling me I'm your friend…"

"You mean, there is, like, a lot of friendship here? The tedious parts of relationships?"

" _Ja_ , precisely. You are caring for me," he said softly. "It's… a first. I may not be attracted to you, but how you are treating me, I wouldn't know that we aren't together; you're being so kind."

"I'm just being a good partner, Caleb. And I mean that, like, in a non-sexual way. Like, you should always be checking if what you're doing is working for people, right? Open to their input? I really try."

Her hand fell still on his stomach.

"And it shows," he said.

"Do you think so? Sometimes I feel like everyone thinks me so silly. I'm not used to spending so much time with so many people!"

"I'm not used to so many people knowing or caring who I am," Caleb quietly commiserated.

Jester sighed. "This group is pretty special, huh?"

"Nott was the first person… in such a long time… to show me concern. I thought it an anomaly. I want to take care of her and protect her, thank her for the care she's shown me when I was at my lowest. Then you lot come, and my head is spinning."

Caleb smiled warmly as her thumb picked tracing invisible circles back up. It felt good, sure, but more importantly it showed his words made her feel better.

"I… I think I'm ready to pick up where we left off," he said after a companionable silence.

"Remember the safeword?"

"Peacock," he affirmed.

"Okay. I'm going to be picking up a little speed, so remember you can use it at any time. Ever, I mean it."

"Thank you," he said, and he needed a moment to deal with with a sudden come on of emotion. "I mean it."

She kissed him on the cheek. "Of course, Caleb." After that chaste display, she mounted his lap and had both hands on his shoulders to ground them as she brought their lips together. It was all very quick, wet. She would back up a little to breathe, brush his hair out of his face, then pick back up. A few comments here or there would be made, little critiques that she would then encourage him when he corrected.

Then abruptly, she was getting off him, and then the bed altogether.

"I have to go grab something," she said, bounding out of the room. He could hear her quick feet and the slam of the door behind her.

Caleb fought the reaction to panic. She would be back. She would be back. She would be back.

He pulled at the ribbons around his wrist, surprised they could hold themselves so well. They were just ribbon!

He considered saying the safeword, but he was also curious. He could also get himself out anytime, if need be. Even tightly tied ribbon could be burned with a cantrip.

It took some controlled breathing, but he was ready as he heard the door creak open again. Caleb wasn't prepared for the uncertain footsteps that entered.

"Safeword is peacock, have fun!"

That voice was undeniably Jester's, but it was far away, unlike the body that just made the edge of the bed dip. Caleb's stomach seesawed.

"Um, I believe our friend thinks she helping," a voice that sounded suspiciously like Mollymauk's said. "Are… are you okay with this?"

Caleb had been flushed most the evening, to be honest, but now his ears began to reach the same shade of red. "Molly," he breathed with embarrassment.

"The one, the only," Molly confirmed.

Well, this was what he'd been working towards, right? Jester had only expedited things?

"W-would you k-kiss me?" Caleb asked in his steadiest voice.

"I would do more than just that if you ask," Molly said, crawling across the bed and taking Caleb's head in his hands. "You sure?"

"Please?"

Molly's lips were warm against his and Caleb happily kissed back. His heart beat quickly, but he felt the calmest he had in a long time. He was ready, he had wanted Molly, he knew his team was there for him, and he was ready to let himself open up like this.

When they pulled away for air, Caleb breathlessly asked," Could you untie my hands? I want to feel you."

His hands were quickly cut from the bedposts, and Caleb instantly had his hands resting on Molly's hips.

Molly grinned and began to work his way down Caleb's neck with peppered kisses. He noticed a hickey, blooming darkly on Claeb's neck, and felt compelled to mark the man himself, adding the extra flair of taking the time to shape it like a heart.

Caleb whined under Molly's kisses and pulled him closer as he began to suck tenderly on his neck. " _Ja, ja Wunderbar_ ," he whispered with a bit of swirling lightheadedness. "Wonderful, all's good," he quickly translated as Molly slowed. "Please, Molly." Desire dripped from his words. 

Molly continued after a solid hickey to make his way to Caleb's chest. He took the soft skin, just above the nipple, and to the outside a little, with his teeth and gently worked another hickey since Caleb seemed so happy with the first—second—one. He was rewarded with the man pushing his hips up and into his.

He didn't expect the nervous wizard to suddenly take his chest in his hands and dexterously feel him, hands working slowly but deftly down his sides until his thumbs rested on his belt line and suggestively flicked at the tucked line of his shirt. Molly threw a bone to the blindfolded man, and untucked his shift for him. He was instantly gratified by the hands that snaked up under his blouse and caressed their way up to his collarbone.

Then, using the shirt his arms were snaked in, he pulled Molly close so he could take his lips once more.

They kissed until their lungs burned, then Molly kissed his way across Caleb's jaw. The human tilted his hand back to allow better access and was rewarded with a pair of warm lips just below the edge of his beard that began to part for sharp, but careful teeth. Caleb couldn't help but moan.

His hands found their way into Molly's hair, and he brushed one of the curling horns with his thumb. "Do your horns have feeling," he asked through his dazed feeling that made it hard to put words into sentences. "I never got to that lesson."

Molly laughed against his throat, and it was magical. "Well, all tiefling horns are different," he started," but to my knowledge most don't have feeling. I won't feel if you brush them lightly. I'll probably feel if you pull on them. They're connected to my skull."

That made sense, Caleb supposed.

"You _can_ pull on my horns if you'd like," Molly answered the unasked question. "It can feel quite good when the right intentions guide the hands doing the pulling."

That was worth noting, though Caleb wasn't brave enough to do it yet. He left one hand on the base of the head and the other took position on Molly's shoulder, pulling him closer to deepen the kisses currently trailing down his abdomen.

Caleb bucked again as those dexterous kisses reached the soft skin of his hips. He felt a finger curl under the waistline of his pants.

"I'm—" Caleb felt the hand still, waiting for what he had to say. "I'm not ready," Caleb finally worked up the courage to admit. He was afraid Molly would think him a tease or leave him. He must have been holding his breath, anticipating Molly's response, because his lungs were burning as he finally breathed again once Molly just softly said "okay" and withdrew his hand.

"Still want to kiss more?" He asked, placing his hand on Caleb's waist.

A worried pout took Caleb's lips, his brow drawing up with concern beneath the ribbon blinding him.

"What we had was nice," Molly said sweetly. "We don't have to go any further if you don't want."

"Okay, b-but will you…" His throat felt too tight to speak.

The bed shifted as Molly took his side and curled up against him, arm around his chest so he could rest his head against his shoulder. "What would be good for you? I may be good at reading and bullshitting with cards, but contrary to popular belief, most tieflings can't read your mind."

The lightness of the question and words surrounding it was enough for Caleb to relax and take a much needed deep breath. He felt the closeness of Molly and shifted so he could fit up against him for cuddling. "I want this again," he said softly, and from the silence that followed, he was momentarily afraid he'd spoken in Zemnian.

Molly kissed Caleb's hairline and whispered," That would be nice."

Caleb's heart had begun hammering again at some point. "Thank you."

Molly hugged him with one arm slung over his chest. 

They cuddled for some time before Molly broke the silence. "Pardon my curiosity, but…"

"Y-you mean, Jester and myself," Caleb guessed with a nervous chuckle. 

"Next to impossible to make me jealous, but takes little to peak my curiosity," Molly said, both as a way of confirming what he was curious about, and as a way of assuring he wasn't upset with the other. 

"It's, ah, been quite some time since I kissed another, and I was worried I might come off…"

"How much experience do you think I have," Molly sputtered and laughed. "I've got two years of traveling from town to town with my family under my belt."

"Oh, I suppose I hadn't considered that," Caleb said. 

Molly kissed Caleb's hairline again, just soft and supportive, not suggestive. "Do you want me to get that ribbon for you?"

"Maybe in a little bit," Caleb said, feeling he had to seem ridiculous. He began to explain in hopes of sounding a little less weird. "It's kind of—it helped, I think. Like blinders on a horse. Reduce the amount of information to process." Horses were easily spooked animals, and like the gentle creatures, Caleb saw danger everywhere. He was sure he wouldn't have been cavalier enough to ask Molly to join him if he had been able to see his piercing red eyes. 

While Caleb expected a laugh at his expense, all Molly said was a small "makes sense" as he rested his forehead between Caleb's shoulder blades. The gentle curve of his horns rested against the slope of the man's shoulders.

They let the quiet night wash over them, the passion of just minutes ago receding for the companionable tranquility they now shared. "This is really nice," Caleb murmured, his heart beating slow now that he was nestled in Molly's arms and such calm had taken over. 

"I happen to know Yasha isn't coming back tonight, and it's not because she's Yasha-ing, and I don't think Jester would mind terribly," Molly mumbled back, his voice already a little thick with approaching sleep. 

Caleb's heart skipped a beat at the unspoken invitation. "Sleep well, Molly," Caleb whispered. 

"How do you say it in Zemnian?" 

"Well, _good night_ is _gute Nacht_ ," Caleb said. It was a little formal, but he didn't need to get into the odd semantic battle that was translating sayings and trying to keep the same meaning and same emotional impact. 

" _Gute Nacht_ , Caleb," Molly wished. 

Calen had to stifle laughter at the mispronunciation—Molly sure hadn't copied the air supposed to flow over the ch, the difference between 'night' and 'naked'. " _Ja, gute Nacht_ ," Caleb whispered as he fell into peaceful sleep.


End file.
